E's Race Recap

Pre-race:
Morning went smoothly. Got up at 4, had some toast, grabbed our special needs bags and head out around 4:45 to walk to transition. Got there and put the special needs bags in the boxes, got body marked quickly, added a little air to the tires, put bottles on the bike and hit the porto potties. Eventually, we ended up on Chuckie's plaque (it’s the size of a man hole cover) and applied the ever important sunscreen and made another trip to the porto potties (washrooms in Canadian). Got wetsuit on and headed to the beach. Got used to the chill of the water with some swimming and A and I lined up in the middle. Last year, we lined up to the left and after seeing the aerial shots realized that the middle was pretty much empty. This year it was empty again compared to the sides.


Swim:
Goal: 1:09:00
Actual: 1:10:40
The swim started well, but soon bunched up and I tended to swim pretty wide to the outside of the buoys, but I think consistently so I shouldn’t have added too much distance. At the houseboats (two turns), most of the people didn't want to turn fully which was annoying. I was surprised when I came out a little slower than at Arizona as I’ve been swimming faster in the pool since then. Amber has been swimming better too, but her time was 30 seconds more, so I think the course was a little longer than at Arizona, but most likely I added unnecessary distance.


T1:
Goal: 8:00 for both
Actual: 4:24

Bike:
Goal: 5:30:00
Actual elapsed time: 5:53:37
Actual ride time: 5:37:xx
The bike started fine, but with a headwind all the way down the valley until the turn up Ricther. That made is a bit more difficult to keep the effort in check as you want to go fast on the gradual downhills but have to keep from blowing up later, especially if the wind shifts. Had to make one stop at Oliver, but otherwise kept nutrition going well with the help of a fifteen minute timer. Up Ricther went quick and didn't seem too bad at all, probably due to the tailwind. Down the other side and over the rollers and the flats to Keremos went well. There, we turn and do the out and back section that they have added a shorter out and back spur onto that we do before heading to the second turn around at special needs. On the first out and back section, I spotted Amber and thought I might catch up to her on the climb to Yellow Lake.

At the second turn around is where my troubles started.

First, they didn't have my special needs bag. Sort of bad since my drink concentrate and the gels that I had planned on having for the last 40 miles of the bike were in there, but I knew I could get gels at the aid stations, so I wasn't too stressed about it.

Second, I got a flat in my rear tire. Before leaving Boulder, we had gotten some Vittoria Pitstop to carry in addition to our spare tires (tubular), so I got that out first as if it worked it would have been a quick fix. Loaded the tire with the sealant and didn't hear any leaks, but when I added CO2 to get the tire to a rideable pressure, the sealant just started coming out the small hole and didn't seal. So, I had to take off my wheel while holding the bike upright (my only remaining calories were in the front bottle) and work the tubular off the rim. In Arizona, the heat had made the glue softer, but here it was still really hard and getting it off was a chore. Eventually, I got the old one off, got the new one partially one, realized I hadn’t stretched it enough, took the new one off, got the new one on fully, filled up the new one, and was on my way. I checked my Garmin to see what my "rest time" was and it was at sixteen and a half minutes. Subtracting the two and a half minutes from my brief stop back in Oliver, meant that I had a fourteen minute tire change. My tire change at Arizona was around 6 minutes. At least four minutes of the difference were wasted using the Pitstop. Afterwards, I tried to remind myself that I couldn’t try to make up any of the time.


Third, as I came into the next aid station, my mind was on one thing: get gels. The first volunteer with gels was a kid around 10 years old who looked away just as I was reaching for the gel and so I missed it. Same exact thing happened with the adult who was holding the next one. At that point I made up my mind to go to the next aid station as I was pretty close, but if I missed them there I would stop. Fortunately, I was able to get two at the next aid station.

By this point, I was expecting something else to go wrong, but fortunately the rest of the ride was pretty smooth.

The ride up to Yellow Lake seemed to go by quickly, but that may be course familiarity coming into play. There we a few guys that would climb the harder sections faster than me, but then stay sitting up on the flatter sections. Hey guys, see those things sticking out in front of your bike, they are aero bars, they help, use them.

Coming down towards Penticton was fast, but the bike wasn’t handling the cross winds as well as I’m used to, so had to check speed a few times.


My "ride" time was around 5:37, a bit slower than I wanted, but I came off the bike feeling really good.


T2:
Goal: 8:00 for both
Actual: 2:28, 6:54 total for both
Felt slow, but not too bad.


Run:
Goal: 3:40
Actual: 3:41:42
Felt great at the start and started picking off people on Lakeshore, but as I turned south, I realized it was going to be a tough as the headwind was pretty strong and I wasn’t getting much of a draft off of anybody as I kept passing everyone in front of me. There were two or three guys that passed me on the way down to OK Falls that I tried to go with, but they were moving too fast. Near the turn around, I saw Amber headed the other way and tried to encourage her to keep pushing. Right at the turn around, I caught our friend Jim. I caught Amber a bit down the road and she looked good, but was complaining about stomach issues. I stayed with her for a minute and then sped up again. The headwinds on the way out did not turn into tailwinds on the way back as it started to rain. I kept on passing people and tried to get myself to accelerate at the 20 mile mark. One guy there commented about my "afterburners" which inspired me. Near the end, I saw that Amber wasn’t too far behind me, which meant that she had picked it up too. In the end, I ran a 3:41. Could have been faster without the headwind, but the rain probably helped keep me cool during the last portion of the run. According to Ironman.com, I move up 334 spots during the run.

In all, I was pleased about my run, progress on the bike, and nutrition. Amber and I are both readily mentally to get at it again, but will need some physical recovery.

-Eric

IM Canada

Not a long post but Amber and I finished a few hours ago, but will try to head down to the finish for the end of the race.

Short story, we both set PR's even with a flat for me (Vittoria Pitstop did not work, so ended up having to do a full change) and some stomach cramping for Amber.

More to come later.

Peace Out ,
Eric

We're Here

So I'm sitting on the deck of our room and typing away as it was the only spot that i could get a wireless signal.

It was kinda rainy and cool in Penticton today, but the rain is supposed to be gone after today and it is supposed to warm up. Hopefully not too much though.

Good drive, we made it to Rock Springs, WY the first night, Spokane, WA last night, and got to Penticton by around noon today. Saw some cool lava formations in Idaho at a rest stop and got rained on heavily crossing from Montana to Idaho, but that's about all that i remember from the drive. Amber might be able to recall more. Time for rest,
Later,
Eric

.......1....

We're outta here!

More to come, from the road and from Iron world once we arrive.

-A

Countdown.......3....2......

This weekend, the rain continued. That meant more than 2 hours on the trainer for the bike. It has been a LONG time since we biked inside, but the Olympics got us through. We saw a USA men's basketball game, the women's badminton singles gold/silver medal game, lots of rowing (singles, doubles, etc.), men's water polo..... yeah, lots of sports! The best was the coverage of Taylor Phinney in the 4 km track cycling, my heart rate and watts were up a bit for those 7+ minutes!

More taper training on Sunday, then we started the packing process.

Yesterday it continued! But shortly after dark, the car was almost finished. Just a few more things tonight (fridge/cooler items) and then we're off for Canada!

We are both excited to race, and excited to be in Penticton and see old frinds and my parents again.

-A

Rain!

We have rain in Boulder today. It actually started last night as big, fat rain during our "easy" post-work spin. The strong winds, and later the big, fat rain drops, changed it into a half-hour strength ride.

This morning, we woke to a gentle rain. It was almost more drizzle and mist than true "rain," though Izzy and I got soaked on our shortened morning walk. It was falling at a near-perfect rate, since most of it was soaking in to our parched ground rather than running off.

I like the rain!

It has actually lifted my spirits today. It is the complete opposite of how rain is typically depicted (I think of Eyore from Winny-the-Pooh).

I like how it sounds.

I like how it smells.

I like how it feels on my face.

I like how it brightens the colors out in the garden and around our yard.

As I was pulling out of the driveway on my way to work, I smiled as I turned on the wipers. The rain was beautiful.

Then I remembered tomorrow's workouts, our 3 hour bike, and am now ready for it to finish up and stop by tomorrow morning. Please? Regular checks of the current Boulder weather (my favorite site on the web!) and the forecast, with current radar, are now part of my daily routine today. Yes, I know what it is like outside by looking at my computer, but in defense, I work in an area with no window or clue to what is going on outside in the world, unless the rain is just starting up and I can smell it.

-A

Izzy, the dog who is part cat

Awhile back, E said I should write about the pets. Half the time (especially during the biggest months of IM training) they are what help keep us sane. They are quite entertaining and help keep us in line with a daily schedule, regardless of what crazy things life and training throw our way. After all, there is no negotiating evening feedings or morning walks.

Each of our pets has a very unique personality, which makes them very special to us. And they each deserve their own separate blog posts. Sammy cat would have it no other way. Despite sharing the dog's water dish on a daily basis (she will drink out of few other things) and stealing the dog's beds whenever she feels like it, she is THE CAT and should not have to share a blog post with the dog. Those of you with cats may understand.

So today's blog is about Izzy the dog. Sammy-cat's blog will just have to wait.

We adopted Izzy from the Humane Shelter shortly after buying our first house and moving out of Student Housing at the University (no pets allowed for renters). A few days before being put up for adoption, the veterinary staff at the shelter operated on Izzy to spay her and remove her left eye. As a stray, we have no idea of what her history was, why or how her eye got injured, or even really what prompted the vets to remove the eye rather than leaving it in and leaving her blind in that eye. The only idea we have is that she had a ruptured cornea, and that she was deemed adoptable, so they operated to remove the eye while she was anesthetized to be spayed.

We hardly ever remember that the eye is even gone!

She moves and behaves as though she has full sight. She is a fast runner, good at chasing balls (but only will if some of her dinner is on the line), loves to play and wrestle with other dogs, and has become our active little companion on many adventures. In fact, when she cocks her head or makes other inquisitive facial expressions, her left eyebrow still mimics the right one, it is as though the eye is still there.

As a shelter dog and stray, we are not sure of her bloodlines, but guess she has a lot of German short-hair pointer, labrador retriever, and probably some border collie in her. She is black, about 45 lb, and more fit and trim than a lab, but stockier than a pointer. And she loves to run.

And run.

And run.

Her longest run with us was 2:45, at which point we set the mark at 2:30 for future runs. At 2:30 she still is going strong and having a blast, at 2:45.... not so much.

She is a hyper, fun loving dog. As she is aging, she is significantly mellowing out, but all of that changes the instant she sees a squirrel or rabbit. And prairie dogs...woah! Why do toy makers insist on having squeekers that sound just like a prairie dog? Many of our runs in Boulder Open Space take us right by oodles of prairie dog farms that have Izzy on high alert.

Izzy hates baths, would rather hold it than go out to potty in the rain, but loves to swim.

She has been very trainable, which we think is due to her being a mix of working/hunting breeds. She NEEDS something to do, and learning a new trick is high on her list of favorite things (along with raw hide bones to chew on and other dogs to play with). We have not been learning any new tricks lately, but to date, she knows how to go to her bed, sit, lay stand, shake, crawl, spin, roll over, touch, leave it, stay (wait, actually), speak, and a few other basic training commands.

Izzy is also an individual. It may be because of her time as a stray when she was just a pup, but she is often content being off on her own, snoozing, watching out the window, lounging out in the back yard, sitting on her pillow. Rarely does she "follow you around like a puppy dog." The exceptions are in the morning before her walk or run or at dinner time before she is fed.

And, at times, she acts kind of like a cat. For a while a skin irritation caused a lot of licking and grooming, much like a cat. She chases spiders. Today on our morning, pre-swim walk, she instantly turned left, jumped straight up in the air, and launched herself into the long grass, much like a cat. And her solidarity is also quite cat-like. This may explain why she and Sammy get along so well.

All in all, she is an excellent companion. The parting shot is of her and me, gathering firewood together on my parent's Lake Superior beach. What a good dog! In fact, her longish nick name is "Izzy the one-eye wonder dog," I think it fits!

-A

Seeing Stars

They are everywhere!

Yesterday morning on our pre-swim walk, Izzy and I saw Orion rising out of the eastern horizon. In college, MWF were 6 am weights, and I often saw Orion on my walk across town to meet the ski team to pump iron. I hadn't realized that the end of summer was so near, but Orion is telling me otherwise. Many, many memories flooded over me when I noticed his appearance.

As E already noted, we had a tough swim session yesterday morning. I was huffing and puffing. Each set of 200's were on a faster interval (our lane cheated, though, and kept the same interval for the 4 and 3 repeat sets). My legs kept getting heavier and heavier, but I fought hard, held pace, and made every interval. Gold star for me! I then became a heap of tiredness at work, but I was at my desk most of the day, so no worries.

Then later, near the top of Lee Hill Road and Deer Trail, I was seeing stars again. The air gets thin up there, I swear! E still beat me up, but I think I'm getting closer. One last hill climb before IM Canada, and it was a good one.

Our evenings have been filled with chores and watching the Olympics. The chores are just reality, but the Olympics have been awesome, inspiring, star-studded event after event.

And finally, this morning, I made it out of bed, got in another quality walk with Izzy, and then slipped on my new, fancy point 6 socks and did a nice fartlek run with E to work. We saw no stars. We probably earned some, it was a good, fast, expertly executed run. The feet felt light, and I think I may actually survive taper this year. It is starting out well, but may be too soon to say for certain......

I'm no Michael Phelps

This morning I was inspired to dolphin kick as much as possible after my flip turn after watching MP do it last night during the 200 Free. He gets like halfway down a 50m pool doing that, I get a tenth of the way down a 25m pool.

Kurt had a do a workout he got from Phelp's coach that included ten 200's, broken into sets of 4, 3, 2, and 1 with some easy 50's in between (which might be enough for Michael's warm-up). The fun part is each new set was at a faster interval. I didn't break 1:42.96 on any of them, but if i could, i should be in China and not getting ready for Canada.

Hopefully the weather stays nice today, so we can hit Lee Hill/Deer Trail one last time this afternoon.

Later,
E

Taper is here!

E and I had a good weekend of training and now taper is here. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself this week! I knew we had to get through Saturday's training, and then we leave to drive to Canada next Tuesday and need to start packing everything next weekend, but in between.... hmmmm.

Saturday's ride was longish and fast. The fastest-longest combination I think I have ever done. We rode for just over 5 hours and covered just over 100 miles. Our first stop was at 4 hours, in Hygene, because we needed water (hit the toilets too, but only because we were already stopping).

Nothing too far from what we have been doing lately, but a good solid day by the end. We also set our watches to beep every 15 minutes and then used that schedule for fueling and changing leaders. The "follower" usually tried to dial in what 7 m back looked like and just hold steady.

That worked until right before Hygene, when I got a panic attack for not being able to breathe a full breath (only at a HR above ~150 bpm, and HR was then creeping up, most likely due to slowly accumulating dehydration). It was a strange, scary sensation, and totally new/foreign. It sounds like others might be experiencing something similar, could it be an allergic reaction to something environmental? I'm not really sure what to think about it or if I need to do or change anything. If anyone has any ideas on what this is all about, please share!

After that, E led and I followed for the rest of the ride. Worked great at first, but as we were leaving Hygene we soon started passing other riders who then tried to share E's draft with me. Most were polite and relatively safe, but there were a few scary seconds where one of them tried to pass 4 of us on the right side with no warning, and little moments here and there when you are feeling fatigued, mentally spent, trying to suck onto your hubbie's wheel, and being drafted by someone at least twice your height and weight (I am big at 5' 11" and ~145 lb, but that guy was HUGE!). Good thing I can hold a steady line all day!

We took a bit more time than usual transtioning into our run afterwards (we NEEDED popsicles, all fruit, yum!). I soon realized that I needed more calories (bike was a bit harder than I had judged) so our training goals were realigned for the weather conditions and what our energy levels were. We ended our training for the day on a good note, though.

The rest of the weekend was spend showing AL a few more of our favorite spots in Boulder, spectating a little for the 5430 Long Course triathlon, and getting in an hour swim in the Boulder Rez at the swim beach. It was good to swim open water, but we should have brought wet suits and may need to look for some big motivators for getting back in there and going around, and around, and around, and around.

Then, to celebrate the end of a good month of solid IM training and the start of taper, we spent the rest of the day in the kitchen cleaning cherries, making a cherry pie, and trying new recipes for baked polenta and an herb-roasted chicken.

That, and I started thinking more about what to wear for IM Canada. I think I'm down to my tried-and-true- but-may-make-me-chafe -on-the-run oomph outfit or going retro and racing in my University of Colorado uniform, which I have raced in a lot, but never for more than 70.3. I put pics down below, feel free to vote in the comments for the clothing option, but not on how goofy I look!

-A

When life gives you lemons......

Last night's bike was a bit interesting. We made it 1.12 miles.

Before we were even 1/2 a mile away from work, I rolled over a small crack in the road and heard a wooOOOoosh, wooOOOoosh, wooOOOoosh, wooOOOoosh, wooOOOoosh...... with every wheel revolution.

A quick check revealed a slice through the tire and tube that was still gushing air. It was soon totally flat, so we stopped, replaced the tube, pumped it up a little with the mini-pump I was carrying (the frame pumps don't fit on the race bikes), then headed back to work where I had a floor pump at my desk. Through this process we realized that the valve on the tube was shot, so when the pump was removed we had to make a mad dash to get the valve closed to keep the air in.

At work we changed the tube, again, to get one with a functioning valve, but then realized that the floor pump was not functioning correctly, so we rode down to E's work and used the floor pump in their entry way (a lot of folks bike to work there, so someone has just left a pump where everyone parks their bikes).

OK. Set. Ready to roll.

We head out again, with an eye to the ever darkening sky and threatening thunder clouds, but before we even roll past the driveway for my work, I hit another crack and hear wooOOOoosh, wooOOOoosh, wooOOOoosh, wooOOOoosh.... all over again (there was a small slit all the way through the tire and we were too worried about the weather and how late it was getting to bother fixing it correctly, with a dollar bill, scrap of paper, bar wrapper, etc.).

So now I was flat and had no more tubes. We headed for the car and decided to drive home and try the ride this morning before work, though slightly abbreviated due to morning meetings for E.

Today, we had a glorious ride. Got the pacing in. Did the pacing sets correctly. Rode hard, but not too hard. Enjoyed the fog (looks more like a "Lake Superior" day in Duluth than anything we normally see in Boulder!).

This kind of change was not exactly what I wanted (or was able to mentally handle) this close to taper and Ironman, but we made it work, and haven't jeopardized our last "big" day before taper in the least. For some reason, though, last night it was a BIG DEAL to have to alter the plan. All worked out in the end, though!

On a separate note, I just got an email informing me of my remaining $3xx dividend at REI. Hmmmm, to cash it out or go shopping? They are also offering 20% off 1 item at their outlet store..... What to do?

-A

....

Taper In Sight

Hey look!
Just up there, if you look past the 5 hr bike + 1 run on Saturday, do you see that?
I think its taper.
Yep, I'm pretty sure it is.
Sweet.

Don't get me wrong, I love training. As much or more than racing, but yesterday when we started our hour and forty min run, I was still sore from Sunday's long run (although the hill climbing on the bike on Tuesday helped, gotta love it when Olde Stage makes your legs feel better). And a taper and race are nice physical and mental rewards for all the hard training.

Although we training hard through the olympic distance tri we did in June, I had my best race in a long time. That leaves you wondering "How much faster could I have gone?", but since it was clearly a B race, I didn't ponder that for long. For Arizona, I was nervous about our bike training and lack of heat acclimatization, but a good summer of riding and warm temperatures (warm sounds so much nicer than hot, so I try to think of 90+ was warm) have cleared those concerns for Canada. I wish that I hadn't gotten sick in mid-July with a cold, but have worked hard enough afterwards to know that it won't affect me race day. So, looking forward to Canada, I'll be rested, well trained, and ready to give it. Race day will present its own challenges, but that's just part of the fun.

Peace out
-E

Awesome weather

We are having some awesome weather in Boulder this week. Highs in the 80's, chance of evening storms (we need rain!), very pleasant. Last night, though, as we turned off of Nelson Road onto 63rd to come home after our hill repeats up Olde Stage and Left Hand Canyon, the sky was not looking friendly. Thankfully, we made it home dry and in one piece. I let E pull the whole section into the headwind! The rains never came at our house, but the sky sure did look ugly further south.

This morning we woke to cool and calm. It was a great day for a run. We did our warm up and first pace interval with Izzy-dog before dropping her off at home and doing the next 2 intervals and cool down, ending at work. It was a great way to commute!

-A

The Joy of Sleep

Usually sleep comes pretty easily to me, so nights like Sunday when I slept poorly, really make me realize how important good rest is. Yesterday, I was tired throughout the day and grumpy with Amber. After good sleep last night, much better mood. Hopefully we get good sleep in the next two plus weeks leading to the race.
-E

recent oddities

During the 'big push' phase of Ironman training, things tend to become very routine. We plan our week, nearly in its entirety, on Sunday and know when and where we are training, what meals we are cooking for dinner, which nights we actually have to cook and which nights we have left-overs available, even how we will commute to and from work each day (bike, "scooter," or carpool). Everything becomes so planned, so much a part of our routine, that any changes or deviations from plan are sometimes thought provoking.

Like waking up at 3 am and not getting back to sleep (!#&$^ legs!), again.

Or forgetting to buy the weeks-worth of bananas at our weekly grocery stop (E told me to do fruit for lunches, I thought that meant he was getting the bananas, for some reason).

Or wearing your planned race kit for your longest training run and getting "saddle sores" (What! Yup, you just read right.... saddle sores from RUNNING. Seriously? Why are my awesome, never-failed-me-yet shorts doing that, there? Who would have thought that the seam at the chamois-short interface could be so rough? It's a thin pad, true it can handle 112 miles in the saddle, but it usually also great for running. What now, with only 2+ weeks to go?).

Or getting dizzy during the 3rd of 4 1000 m intervals in the pool (not fun, nearly made me nauseous).
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

On another note, having a roommate is going great, but it does make me realize how weird some of my habits are.

Like recycling EVERYTHING.

Or watching TV every 2 weeks or so (non-Olympic time of the year, of course!).

Or wearing the same t-shirt in the evenings after work for a few days if it does not get dirty or smelly (I have lots of nice clothes, but tend to drift for comfy over fashion after work, and why make more wash and use more water when I really don't have to?).

Or washing my hands with cold (we have long pipes and you run a lot of extra water waiting for it to get warm, cold works fine, even feels GOOD this time of year, but how do you explain that to someone without seeming weird?).

Not putting knives, pots, pans, or wooden-handled items into the dishwasher.

Only running the dishwasher when it is FULL (once or twice a week with just the two of us).

And letting the hand-wash dishes stack up on the counter for a day or two (or seven).

Hanging up most of the laundry to dry, with the exception of towels and regular socks and undies.

Washing almost all the laundry in cold, regardless of what the tags say.

It's kind of like looking at yourself with a magnifying glass, things pop out at you that you never even noticed before. Now, we just need to find out what to do about the things we learn about the habits of 2 old married people that have been together for many, many years! Should be good, in the end. And fun/interesting along the way.

Change is good! And our roommate, who I'll call AL, is an awesome person to have along for the ride!

-A

Oh, and for fun, here is a pic of us at IM AZ back in April:

.....

E's Weekend Recap

The original plan for the weekend had been to swim, bike and run on Saturday, with the run being our longest training run for Canada prep. But, with a predicted high of 99, Jared rearranged our schedule to get the bike in early on Sat, the swim later on Sat, and run in early on Sunday. Although heat acclimatization is key, we've been getting enough hot weather that our evening workouts have been hot.

On Saturday morning, we got out the door pretty well (~7:30) and headed towards Lefthand for a nice little TT to Jamestown. My large breakfast and IM bike nutrition practice was a bit much for the intensity, but managed to keep everything down. We got home around 10 and got some chores done (or for picking cherries, chores continued).

By the time we headed out for swimming, it was getting cloudy with some rain in places visible. The water in the pool was cold and without the sun, we got pretty chilled during the swim. I wasn't quite able to keep up with Dave Scott in the next lane (okay, he was lapping me frequently, but he was using a pull buoy). I skipped the 500 kick at the end due to multiple excuses (too cold, Amber was done, I suck at kicking, etc), but still got in 4.5k.

Sunday morning rolls around and A and I get out the door before 6 (per coach's instructions). We take Izzy on a short loop and head back home to drop her off with breakfast. She's a great runner, but not for 3 hrs. A and I head north towards Hygiene. After 30 minutes, we pick up the pace to our marathon target and just run. Up and down the rollers on 63rd, down the dirt road past Lagerman res., and on the mainly flat 75th to Hygiene. At Hygiene, we refill our water and head south. We see about 3,876 bikers on 75th as we head down that, over on Niwot Rd and back to 63rd. We reach the stoplight at 119 at 3 hours and walk/jog/run the 1.5 miles back home.

Afterwards we both take ice baths. Others in blog land have written about home much ice they have to use (Bree at 50 lbs), but since our water comes out at 60 degrees, not much ice is needed to get down to 57.

Later we went for a short bike to loosen the legs and get some Dairy Queen, but were dissappointed to find that the DQ is not on the summer hours anymore and had closed at 5. Really, its 90+ degrees, early August and its not summer anymore?

We also had our temporary renter move in. She is doing a PT rotation/internship in Boulder for 9 weeks, so in case I sprain my ankle again, I should be set. Hopefully, she doesn't think that we are too crazy.

@#$&*$%$%&*^$ legs

For those of you who don't know me, @#$&*$%$%&*^$ = "darn" .... so the title to this post could read "darn legs."

The buggers woke me up last night and kept me awake for 1.5-2 hours. It was like that for our two hardest runs in prep for IM AZ last spring. I guess harder evening runs make for sleepless nights for me. The first time it happened I was up at 1:30 am and never fell back asleep. The second, I was up at 3am and drifted off again around 4:45 for a bit before the alarm went off.

Last night, I was lucky and only had to suffer through a small sleepless or broken-sleep bout between 1:30 and 3am. Legs were hurt'n and got that mind race'n, too. I also was dealing with too hot/too cold issues...... hurumph. And it was only a simple 1:20 run with 3 "tempo" sections, not as epic as some things we have done lately.

Regardless of my suffering, I was much, much better off than what our friend Kerrie is dealing with right now after being hit by a car on her bike and not being able to move her left leg yet (no broken bones, but her bike is done). Heal fast, our friend! We will try and visit you this weekend and bring some yummy food. Any requests?